Support structure to enable use of tablet computer by persons with limited manual dexterity

ABSTRACT

A system and method provide a stable support for a portable electronic device such as a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a smartphone, or the like. The system includes a support structure that rests on a table, a tray or other platform positioned proximate to a person using the portable electronic device. The support structure has a non-skid base positioned on the platform and has an upper surface positioned at a selected angle with respect to the base. The upper surface includes a recess that receives a configuration frame (or insert). The configuration frame includes an opening to receive and retain the portable electronic device. The configuration frame is rotatable to at least two positions to orient the portable electronic device in at least two orientations (e.g., portrait and landscape) with respect to the person. In certain embodiments, the presentation angle of the upper surface is variable.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/100,235 filed on Jan. 6, 2015, for “Support Structure to Enable Useof Tablet Computer by Persons with Limited Manual Dexterity,” which isincorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention is in the field of accessibility devices to enableuse of electronics devices by persons with limited manual dexterity.

Description of the Related Art

Tablet computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smartphones andother portable electronic devices have quickly become ubiquitous amongpeople of all age groups. Because of the small sizes, fragility andrelatively high costs, the use of such devices tends to be foreclosed topeople having limited manual dexterity. For example, when using certainprograms or applications (“apps”) on such a portable device, a personoften has to hold the device in one or both hands while operating thedevice with the thumbs. When using other programs or apps, a person hasto swipe his or her fingers across the touch-responsive surface of thedevice. Although such activities are quite easy for people with fullmanual ability, the activities are not easy for some people with limitedmanual dexterity. For example, person with rheumatoid arthritis of thehands, cerebral palsy or other conditions affecting the hands may not beable to grip the portable device. A person with certain conditions mayhave involuntary movements that could cause the portable device to bedropped or moved out of position. Thus, some people are frustrated bythe lack of control over the devices. Other people may face expensiverepair or replacement of the devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of embodiments disclosed herein is a system and method thatenable persons with impaired manual dexterity to use tablet computers,PDAs, smartphones and other small portable electronic devices withgreater enjoyment, with greater functionality and with less likelihoodof breakage.

In an illustrated embodiment, the system and method provide a stablesupport for a portable electronic device such as a tablet computer, apersonal digital assistant, a smartphone, or the like. The systemincludes a support structure that rests on a table, a tray or otherplatform positioned proximate to a person using the portable electronicdevice. For example, the table, tray or platform may be attached to orsupported by a wheelchair, another type of chair or a bed so that aperson can access the device supported by the support structure. Thesupport structure has a non-skid base positioned on the platform and hasan upper surface positioned at a selected angle with respect to thebase. The upper surface includes a recess that receives a configuration(or positioning) structure (or insert). The configuration structureincludes an opening to receive and retain the portable electronicdevice. The configuration structure is rotatable to at least twopositions to orient the portable electronic device in at least twoorientations (e.g., portrait and landscape) with respect to the person.

An aspect of embodiments disclosed herein is support structure for aportable electronic device that retains the portable electronic devicein at least two orientations. The support structure comprises a base. Afront wall, a rear wall, a left side wall and a right side wall extendupwardly from the base. The front wall is shorter than the rear wall. Anupper surface is supported by the front wall, the rear wall, the leftside wall and the right side wall. The upper surface slopes downwardfrom the rear wall toward the front wall such that the upper surface isat a presentation angle with respect to the base. A positioningstructure receiving recess is formed in the upper surface. Thepositioning structure receiving recess has a selected shape. A devicepositioning structure is positionable in the positioning structurereceiving recess. The device positioning structure includes a devicereceiving opening having a shape configured to conform to the portableelectronic device. The device positioning structure is positionable inthe positioning structure receiving recess to provide at least twoorientations for the device receiving opening with respect to the frontwall such that the portable electronic device is positionable in atleast two corresponding orientations with respect to the front wall. Incertain embodiments, the presentation angle is approximately 5-45degrees. In certain embodiments, the presentation angle is approximately10-15 degrees. In certain embodiments, the presentation angle isvariable between a lowest presentation angle and a highest presentationangle by rotating the upper surface with respect to the base. Inparticular embodiments, the presentation angle is selectively fixed atone of three presentation angles, including the lowermost presentationangle, the uppermost presentation angle and a middle presentation angle.

In certain embodiments, the device positioning structure has asubstantially square shape; and the device receiving opening ispositioned substantially in the center of the substantially squareshape. Preferably, the device receiving opening is generally rectangularwith a length and a width, wherein the width shorter than the length.Preferably, the device positioning structure is positionable in thepositioning structure receiving recess in a first orientation with thelength of the device receiving opening parallel to the front wall, andis positionable in the positioning structure receiving recess in asecond orientation with the width of the device receiving openingparallel to the front wall. In preferred embodiments, the devicepositioning structure is sufficiently larger than the device receivingopening such that the device positioning structure provides asurrounding perimeter surface onto which a person may rest his or herhands when not accessing the device within the device receiving opening.

In certain embodiments, the device positioning structure has asubstantially square shape, and the device positioning structurecomprises an outer structure portion and an inner structure portion. Theouter structure portion has a central opening formed therein. Thestructure frame portion has an outer perimeter sized and shaped toconform to and fit within the central opening of the outer structureportion. The device receiving opening is positioned substantially in thecenter of the inner structure portion, and the device receiving openingis generally rectangular with a length and a width, wherein the widthshorter than the length. The inner structure portion is positionablewithin the outer structure portion in at least a first orientation withthe length of the device receiving opening parallel to the front wall,at least a second orientation with the width of the device receivingopening parallel to the front wall, and at least a third orientationwith the length of the device receiving opening at an angle such thatneither the length of the device receiving opening nor the width of thedevice receiving opening is parallel to the front wall.

In certain embodiments, the central opening of the outer structureportion and the outer perimeter of the inner structure portion aresubstantially circular; and the inner structure portion is fullypositionable within the outer structure portion such that the length ofthe device receiving opening is rotatable to any angle with respect tothe front wall.

In certain embodiments, the base comprises a lower base portion thatrests on a flat surface, and an upper base portion that engages thelower base portion. Preferably, the lower base portion includes a lowerrecess. A non-skid pad is removably insertable within the lower recessof the lower base portion to enhance the frictional engagement of thelower base portion with the flat surface. Also preferably, the lowerbase portion comprises an extended upper portion. The upper base portionincludes a lower recess. The lower recess of the upper base portion issized and shaped to engage the extended upper portion of the lower baseportion.

In certain embodiments, the device positioning structure comprises atleast one pad defining an opening to receive the device within theopening. A faceplate is positionable over the at least one pad and isengageable with the upper surface. The faceplate has a faceplate openingsized smaller than the opening in the at least one pad. The faceplatehas a frame around the faceplate opening sized to contact an uppersurface of the device to secure the device within the positioningstructure receiving recess of the upper surface of the supportstructure.

Another aspect of embodiments disclosed herein is a support structurethat retains a manually accessible apparatus in at least twoorientations. The support structure comprises a base and comprises afront wall, a rear wall, a left side wall and a right side wall thatextend upwardly from the base. The front wall is shorter than the rearwall. An upper surface is supported by the front wall, the rear wall,the left side wall and the right side wall. The upper surface slopesdownward from the rear wall toward the front wall such that the uppersurface is at a presentation angle with respect to the base. Apositioning structure receiving recess is formed in the upper surface.The positioning structure receiving recess has a selected shape. Anapparatus positioning structure is positionable in the positioningstructure receiving recess. The apparatus positioning structure includesan apparatus receiving opening having a shape configured to conform tothe manually accessible apparatus. The apparatus positioning structureis positionable in the positioning structure receiving recess to provideat least two orientations for the apparatus receiving opening withrespect to the front wall such that the manually accessible apparatus ispositionable in at least two corresponding orientations with respect tothe front wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments in accordance with aspects of the present invention aredescribed below in connection with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a support structure for aportable electronic device (e.g., a tablet computer) positioned on anaccessory desk, the support structure configured to retain the portableelectronic device in a landscape orientation with respect to a user (notshown);

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the support structure of FIG. 1with the support structure configured to retain the portable electronicdevice in a portrait configuration;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the support structureof FIGS. 1 and 2 showing, from bottom to top, a non-skid pad, a lowerbase portion, an upper shell portion and a device positioning frame, theview further showing the portable electronic device (in phantom) forreference;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the assembled supportstructure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a right cross-sectional elevational view of theassembled support structure taken along the section line 5-5 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of the base portion of the supportstructure of FIG. 4 viewed from the top to show the tapered upperextended portion that engages the upper shell portion of the supportstructure when assembled as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5;

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the base portion of FIG. 6viewed from the bottom to show the lower recess for receiving thenon-skid pad of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 illustrates a right side elevational view of the base portion ofFIG. 6;

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the upper shell portion of thesupport structure of FIG. 4 viewed from the top;

FIG. 10 illustrates a perspective view of the upper shell portion ofFIG. 9 showing the hollow inner cavity that engages the tapered upperextended portion of the base portion of the support structure;

FIG. 11 illustrates a right side elevational view of the upper shellportion of FIG. 9 showing the inclined side wall;

FIG. 12 illustrates a front elevational view of the upper shell portionof FIG. 9 showing the inclined recess that receives the portableelectronic device of FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 13 illustrates the device positioning frame configured with athrough device receiving opening for receiving and retaining a portableelectronic device having a shape and dimensions corresponding to atablet computer;

FIG. 14 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the device positioningframe of FIG. 13 wherein the device receiving opening is configured as arecess with a bottom surface to adjust the depth of the device receivingopening to accommodate a thinner portable electronic device;

FIG. 15 illustrates a device positioning frame configured for receivinga portable electronic device having a shape and dimensions correspondingto a smartphone (shown in phantom) and also illustrates an optionalinsert which may be positioned beneath the portable electronic device toraise the device within the opening of the device receiving frame;

FIG. 16 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a two-piece devicepositioning frame having an outer generally square frame and a circularinner frame that is rotatable to multiple angular positions to allow theportable electronic device to be positioned at orientations in additionto the landscape and portrait orientations;

FIG. 17 illustrates the alternative embodiment of the two-devicepositioning frame of FIG. 16 inserted in the upper shell portion andwith the portable electronic device inserted in the device positioningframe, the view showing the portable electronic device rotated to anorientation between the landscape orientation and the portraitorientation;

FIG. 18 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a supportstructure for a portable electronic device (e.g., a tablet computer)that has an adjustable angular (elevational) position for the uppersurface supporting the device, the support structure configured toretain the portable electronic device in a landscape orientation withrespect to a user (not shown);

FIG. 19 illustrates a perspective view of the support structure of FIG.18 with the support structure configured to retain the portableelectronic device in a portrait configuration;

FIG. 20 illustrates a top plan view of the support structure of FIG. 18without the portable electronic device;

FIG. 21 illustrates a bottom plan view of the support structure of FIG.18;

FIG. 22 illustrates a front elevational view of the support structure ofFIG. 18;

FIG. 23 illustrates a rear elevational view of the support structure ofFIG. 18;

FIG. 24 illustrates a left side elevational view of the supportstructure of FIG. 18;

FIG. 25 illustrates a cross-sectional elevational view of the supportstructure of FIG. 18 taken along the line 25-25 in FIG. 23;

FIG. 26 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the supportstructure of FIG. 18;

FIG. 27 illustrates an upper right front perspective view of the outershell of the support structure of FIGS. 18-26;

FIG. 28 illustrates an upper right rear perspective view of the outershell of FIG. 27;

FIG. 29 illustrates a lower left front perspective view of the outershell of FIG. 27;

FIG. 30 illustrates an enlarged perspective view of a portion of theouter shell taken within the area—30—in FIG. 29;

FIG. 31 illustrates a top plan view of the outer shell of FIG. 27;

FIG. 32 illustrates a bottom plan view of the outer shell of FIG. 27;

FIG. 33 illustrates a front elevational view of the outer shell of FIG.27;

FIG. 34 illustrates a rear elevational view of the outer shell of FIG.27;

FIG. 35 illustrates a left elevational view of the outer shell of FIG.27, the right elevational view (not shown) being a mirror image of theleft elevational view;

FIG. 36 illustrates a cross-sectional elevational view of the outershell of FIG. 27 taken along the line 36-36 in FIG. 34;

FIG. 37 illustrates a top right front perspective view of the innershell of the support structure of FIGS. 18-26;

FIG. 38 illustrates a top right rear perspective view of the inner shellof FIG. 37;

FIG. 39 illustrates a bottom left perspective view of the inner shell ofFIG. 37;

FIG. 40 illustrates a top plan view of the inner shell of FIG. 37;

FIG. 41 illustrates a bottom plan view of the inner shell of FIG. 37;

FIG. 42 illustrates a front elevational view of the inner shell of FIG.37;

FIG. 43 illustrates a rear elevational view of the inner shell of FIG.37;

FIG. 44 illustrates a left elevational view of the inner shell of FIG.37, the right elevational view (not shown) being a mirror image of theleft elevational view;

FIG. 45 illustrates a cross-sectional elevational view of the innershell of the support structure of FIG. 37 taken along the line 45-45 inFIG. 43;

FIG. 46 illustrates a top perspective view of the left elevation latchof FIG. 26, the right elevation latch (not shown) being a mirror imageof the left elevation latch;

FIG. 47 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the elevation latch ofFIG. 46;

FIG. 48 illustrates a top plan view of the distal left corner of thesupport structure of FIGS. 18-26 taken within the area—48—in FIG. 20;

FIG. 49 illustrates a top distal right perspective view of the supportstructure of FIG. 18 showing the outer shell in the lowermostelevational (angular) position;

FIG. 50 illustrates a cross-sectional elevational view of the supportstructure of FIG. 49 looking from the left toward the right along thesection line 50-50 in FIG. 49;

FIG. 51 illustrates a top distal right perspective view of the supportstructure of FIG. 18 showing the outer shell in the middle elevational(angular) position;

FIG. 52 illustrates a cross-sectional elevational view of the supportstructure of FIG. 51 looking from the left toward the right along thesection line 52-52 in FIG. 51;

FIG. 53 illustrates a top distal right perspective view of the supportstructure of FIG. 18 showing the outer shell in the uppermostelevational (angular) position;

FIG. 54 illustrates a cross-sectional elevational view of the supportstructure of FIG. 53 looking from the left toward the right along thesection line 54-524 in FIG. 53;

FIG. 55 illustrates an upper perspective view of the lower planarsupport pad of FIG. 26;

FIG. 56 illustrates an upper perspective view of the upper left supportpad and the upper right support pad of FIG. 26;

FIG. 57 illustrates a perspective view of the top surface of thefaceplate of FIG. 26;

FIG. 58 illustrates a perspective view of the bottom surface of thefaceplate of FIG. 57;

FIG. 59 illustrates a distal perspective view of the left faceplatelatch of FIG. 26, the right faceplate latch of FIG. 26 being the same asthe left faceplate latch;

FIG. 60 illustrates a proximal perspective view of the faceplate latchof FIG. 59;

FIG. 61 illustrates an enlarged cross-sectional perspective view of theleft distal corner of the support structure of FIG. 18 showing thepositioning of the left faceplate latch of FIGS. 59 and 60 with respectto the faceplate;

FIG. 62 illustrates an upper perspective view of a modified inner shellhaving mounting openings to receive screws or other fasteners forstorage and having openings to received carrying straps for transportingthe support structure;

FIG. 63 illustrates a lower perspective view of the modified inner shellof FIG. 62;

FIG. 64 illustrates an upper perspective view of the modified innershell of FIGS. 62 and 63 with the keyhole-shaped mounting openingsoriented for mounting the inner shell on a wall with the distal (rear)surface facing downward; and

FIG. 65 illustrates a lower perspective view of the modified inner shellof FIG. 64.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The support structure for portable electronic device is disclosed hereinwith respect to exemplary embodiments of a system and a method. Theembodiments are disclosed for illustration of the system and the methodand are not limiting except as defined in the appended claims. Althoughthe following description is directed to a support structure thatprovides a stable platform for portable electronic devices used bypersons with manual dexterity issues, the support structure may also beused to by other persons needing a stable platform for such devices.Dimensions are provided herein as examples of an illustrated embodiment.It should be understood that the dimensions are for illustrativepurposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention unlessspecifically noted. It should be understood that many of the shapeintersections between the described surfaces are smoothed with fillets.Such fillets are shown in the drawings, but are not specificallydescribed herein.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a partial view of an accessory desk (or table)100 that may be used with a support structure 200 also shown in FIGS. 1and 2. The illustrated accessory desk is generally rectangular andincludes a left portion 102, a right portion 104, a front edge 106 and arear edge 108. Basically, the accessory desk provides a generally flatupper surface 110 that supports everyday items such as dishes, books,papers, toys, or the like, so that the items are readily accessible to aperson (not shown) located proximate to the accessory desk. For example,the accessory desk may be part of a wheelchair, may be the upper portionof a bed table or may be the upper portion of a conventionalself-standing table having legs. The accessory desk shown in FIGS. 1 and2 is configured for a wheelchair (not shown) and includes a cutout 112along the front edge 106 closer to a person seated in the wheelchair sothat the desk can be moved close to the torso of the person to enablethe person to reach objects on the accessory desk.

Embodiments of the portable electronic device support structure 200 areillustrated in FIGS. 1-16. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the support structure ispositioned on the upper surface 110 the accessory desk 100 in a positionaccessible by a person (not shown) located proximate the front edge ofthe accessory desk.

The support structure 200 includes a base portion 210 that rests on theupper surface 110 of the accessory desk 100. As shown for example inFIGS. 3 and 6-8, the base portion has a front edge 212, a rear edge 214,a left edge 216 and a right edge 218. In the illustrated embodiment, thebase portion has a generally square configuration as defined by the fouredges. It should be understood that other configurations (e.g.,non-square rectangular configurations, circular configurations, otherpolyhedral configurations, and the like) may also be used. In theillustrated embodiment, each of the four edges has a length ofapproximately 15 inches. The front edge of the base portion is usuallypositioned in approximate alignment with the front edge 106 of theaccessory desk.

The base portion 210 supports an upper shell portion 230. As shown forexample in FIGS. 3 and 9-12, the upper shell portion has a front wall240, a rear wall 242, a left side wall 244 and a right side wall 246that form a lower portion having dimensions generally corresponding tothe dimensions of the base portion (e.g., approximately 15 inches by 15inches in the illustrated embodiment). In the illustrated embodiment,the front wall of the upper shell portion has an overall height ofapproximately 0.75 inch, and the rear wall has an overall height ofapproximately 4 inches such that the top edges of the left side wall andthe right side wall slope downwardly towards the front wall at apresentation angle in a range of approximately 5-45 degrees, and moreparticularly in a range of approximately 10-15 degrees. The four wallsof the upper shell portion support an upper surface 250 that is inclineddownwardly from the rear wall toward the front wall at the presentationangle so that the upper surface is directed toward and is accessible toa person (not shown) positioned proximate to the front edge 106 of theaccessory desk 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

As further shown in FIGS. 1-3, 9 and 12 the upper surface 250 of thesupport structure 200 includes a recess 252 that receives a devicepositioning frame (device positioning structure) 260 in firstorientation shown in FIG. 1 and in a second orientation shown in FIG. 2.The device positioning frame includes an upper surface 262. A centralreceiving opening 264 is formed in the upper surface to receive andposition a portable electronic device 270. The portable electronicdevice includes a conventional display/input panel 272 which ispositioned parallel to and generally coplanar with the upper surface ofthe support structure. Thus, the display/input panel of the portableelectronic device is oriented toward a person positioned in the selectedpresentation angle (e.g., approximately 10-15 degrees in the illustratedembodiment).

Although the illustrated embodiment provides a presentation angle ofapproximately 10-15 degrees as determined by the slope of the uppersurface 250 of the support structure 200, it should be understood thatthe presentation angle can very over a wide range. For example, thepresentation angle can vary from approximately 5 degrees toapproximately 45 degrees. The choice of the presentation angle is basedin part on the resulting aesthetics of the support structure and basedin part on ease of use. A greater presentation angle results in agreater height differential between the front wall and the rear wall,which may not be as aesthetically pleasing for some users. A smallerpresentation angle may not allow the portable electronic device 270 tobe as easy to view, particularly if a person is relatively short withrespect to the upper surface 110 of the accessory desk 100. In general,a presentation angle in a range of approximately 10 to approximately 15degrees may result in an acceptable combination of aesthetics and easeof use.

In FIG. 1, the portable electronic device 270 is positioned with thedisplay/input panel 272 in a landscape orientation with respect to aperson (not shown) seated proximate the accessory desk 100. In FIG. 2,the portable electronic device is positioned with the display/inputpanel in a portrait orientation with respect to the person. One skilledin the art will appreciate that “landscape” and “portrait” orientationsare used herein in a conventional manner such that when the portableelectronic device is in the landscape orientation (FIG. 1), the longeredge of the device is parallel to the front wall 240 of the supportstructure 200. When the portable electronic device is in the portraitorientation (FIG. 2), the shorter edge of the device is parallel to thefront wall of the support structure. As described in detail below, thedevice positioning frame 260 of the support structure provides a systemand method to quickly and easily change the orientation of the portableelectronic device between the two orientations. As further describedbelow, alternative embodiments of the device positioning frame allow theportable electronic device to be positioned in additional orientations.

As shown in the exploded view of FIG. 3, the support structure 200comprises the base portion 210, the upper shell portion 230 and thepositioning frame 260, as described above. The support structure furtherincludes a non-skid pad 280 that is inserted into the base portion, asdescribed below. The assembled support structure is shown in aperspective view in FIG. 5 and in a cross-sectional view in FIG. 5. InFIG. 3, the portable electronic device 270 is shown in phantom forreference; however, it should be understood that the portable electronicdevice is not an element of the support structure.

As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5, the non-skid pad 280fits snugly within a lower recess 300 in the lower base portion 202 ofthe support structure 200 with a portion of the non-skid pad extendingdownwardly from the lower base portion by approximately ⅛ inch. In theillustrated embodiment, the non-skid pad comprises urethane or othersuitable compressible material so that when pressure is applied to theupper surface 122 of the support structure, the non-skid padfrictionally engages the upper surface 110 of the accessory desk 100 sothat the support structure remains substantially fixed with respect tothe upper surface of the accessory desk when lateral force is applied tothe support structure. In contrast, the support structure is easilyremoved from the upper surface of the accessory desk by lifting thesupport structure vertically upward from the upper surface. In theillustrated embodiment, the non-skid pad has a substantially squareshape with sides of approximately 13.9 inches and has a thickness ofapproximately ¼ inch. The lower recess of the lower base portion has acorresponding substantially square shape with inner perimeter edges thatare slightly shorter than the sides of the non-skid pad so that thenon-skid pad can be slightly compressed for insertion into the lowerrecess. The resilience of the non-skid pad forces the edges of thenon-skid pad against the inner perimeter of the lower recess so thatfriction retains the non-skid pad within the lower recess untildeliberately removed. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower recesshas a depth of approximately 3/16 inch so that the lower 1/16 inch ofthe non-skid pad extends below the lower base portion to assure thatvertical pressure applied to the support structure causes the lowersurface of the non-skid pad to engage the upper surface of the accessorydesk.

The lower base portion 202 includes an upper extended portion 310 thatextends upward from a ledge 312. In the illustrated embodiment, theledge extends inwardly from outer edges 212, 214, 216, 218 of the lowerbase portion by approximately ¼ inch. The upper extended portion has aheight of approximately 3/16 inch and is drafted inwardly at a draftangle of approximately 3 degrees. The base of the upper extended portionis substantially square with outer edges 218 of the base at theintersections with the ledge having lengths of approximately 14.25inches.

The upper shell portion 204 is formed in the general shape of atruncated four-sided pyramid with a generally square base 320 with fourgenerally equal base edges 322 that extend outwardly approximately 3/16inch from the respective front, rear, left side and right side walls240, 242, 244, 246. The four walls have thicknesses of approximately ⅛inch so that the upper shell portion is hollow inside. Each of the fourwalls extends upward from a respective one of the edges at a draft angleof approximately 3 degrees. The lengths of the four edges of the squarebase are selected so that the inner dimensions of the four side walls atthe base are substantially equal to the outer dimensions of the upperextended portion 310 of the base portion 210. Thus, the inner surfacesof the four walls of the upper shell portion form a recess 324. When theupper shell portion is positioned over the upper extended portion of thelower base portion, the recess of the upper shell portion fits over theupper extended portion of the lower base portion. The inner surfaces ofthe upper shell portion frictionally engage the outer surfaces of theextended upper portion of the lower base portion; and the base edges ofthe upper shell portion rest on the ledges 312 of the lower base portionas shown in the cross-sectional view in FIG. 5. Accordingly, the uppershell portion remains engaged with the lower base portion during normaluse but can be disengaged from the lower base portion so that theelements of the support structure can be disassembled for cleaning.

As described above, the four inwardly tapering walls 240, 242, 244, 246of the upper shell portion 230 support the upper surface 250. In theillustrated embodiment, the upper surface is not quite square because ofthe tapering walls and the differing heights of the front wall and therear wall such that the upper surface is slightly wider nearer the frontwall. The upper surface has a generally square positioning framereceiving recess 250 formed to a depth of approximately 0.385 inch. Therecess has edges of approximately 12.75 inches and is drafted outwardlyalong the front and rear edges. A ledge 252 formed by the non-recessedportion of the upper surface surrounds the recess. In the illustratedembodiment, the upper surface has a material thickness of approximately⅛ inch beneath the ledge and beneath the recess. In the illustratedembodiment, the upper shell portion comprises a suitable ABS plasticmaterial and is formed by injection molding.

The positioning frame receiving recess 250 in the upper surface 122 ofthe upper shell portion 204 is sized and shaped to receive thepositioning frame 260, which is shown in more detail in FIGS. 13 and 14.The positioning frame is generally square and has outer edges withlengths selected to generally correspond to the lengths of the foursides of the recess so that the positioning frame fits snugly within therecess but is easily removed for rotation, as discussed below. In theillustrated embodiment, the positioning frame has sides of approximately12.75 inches each. The positioning frame has a thickness ofapproximately ⅜ inch so that when the positioning frame is placed in therecess, the exposed upper surface of the positioning frame is almostflush with the ledge 252 surrounding the recess. In the illustratedembodiment, the positioning frame comprises urethane or another suitablematerial that can be removed from the recess and cleaned as needed. Thesquare configuration of the positioning frame allows the positioningframe to be inserted into the frame positioning recess in fourorthogonal configurations described below.

As described above, the positioning frame 260 includes the centraldevice receiving opening 264 that extends through the positioning framein the illustrated embodiment. In alternative embodiments (see FIG. 14),the central device receiving opening may be replaced by a recess toreceive thinner portable electronic devices. Alternatively, thepositioning frame may be thinner to accommodate a thinner portableelectronic device while maintaining the upper surface of the portableelectronic device substantially flush with the upper surface 262 of thepositioning frame. In further alternative embodiments, a generallyrectangular insert (see FIG. 15) may be positioned in the central devicereceiving opening to raise the portable electronic device within theopening to maintain the upper surfaces in a substantially flushrelationship. In the illustrated embodiment, the device receivingopening is sized and shaped to receive the portable electronic device270 as shown in FIGS. 1-3. For example, for an Apple iPad® tabletcomputer, the device receiving opening is generally rectangular and hasa longer dimension of approximately 9.5 inches and a shorter dimensionof approximately 7.3 inches. The length and width of the devicereceiving recess are selected to be substantially the same as thecorresponding outer dimensions of the portable electronic device so thatwhen the portable electronic device is inserted into the devicereceiving recess, the inner edges of the device receiving recess gentlygrip the sides of the portable electronic device. Thus, the portableelectronic device does not move within the device receiving recessduring normal use. The substantially flush upper surfaces of thepositioning frame and the portable electronic device within the devicereceiving opening allow a user to easily move his or her hands from theupper surface of the portable electronic device to the upper surface ofthe positioning frame.

In the illustrated embodiment, the device receiving opening 264 of thepositioning frame 260 includes a plurality of clearance notches thatextend outwardly from the main cavity of the recess. The notches provideclearances to accommodate controls on the portable electronic device 270so that the controls are not inadvertently activated when the portableelectronic device is inserted into and removed from the device receivingopening. For example, for the positioning frame configured for the AppleiPad® tablet computer, a first clearance notch 350 is located on the topof the device receiving recess near the upper right corner of whenviewed in the portrait mode in FIG. 2. The first clearance notch allowsthe tablet computer to be inserted into the device receiving recesswithout inadvertently activating the on/off switch (not shown) of thetablet computer. The first clearance notch also provides sufficientaccess to allow the on/off switch to be accessed while the portableelectronic device is in the device receiving opening. A second clearancenotch 352 is located on the right side of the device receiving openingnear the upper right corner. The second clearance notch providesclearance and access for the mute, volume-up and volume down controls(not shown) of the tablet computer. A third clearance notch 354 islocated near the right corner of the bottom of the device receivingopening. The third clearance notch provides clearance to allow soundemanating from the tablet computer to exit outward from the tabletcomputer and upward from the device receiving opening. An additionalnotch (not shown) may be included to allow access to the power/USBreceptacle (not shown) of the tablet computer so that the tabletcomputer can be positioned in the recess with the power plug (not shown)inserted in the tablet computer. In the illustrated embodiment, thesupport structure 200 is intended to be used when the tablet computer isin the fully portable (no power connected) mode so that no electricalwiring is present in a potentially wet environment. It should beunderstood that the number and the positions of the clearance notchesare varied in accordance with the table computer or other portableelectronic device to be accommodated by the positioning frame.

As discussed above, the positioning frame 260 is insertable into thepositioning frame receiving recess 252 in at least two orientations asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the positioning frame is positioned asshown in FIG. 1, the central device receiving opening 264 is positionedwith the longer dimension parallel to the front edge 212 of the baseportion 210 of the support structure 200 such that the central devicereceiving opening 264 of the positioning frame receives the portableelectronic device 270 in the landscape orientation. When the positioningframe is positioned as shown in FIG. 2, the central device receivingrecess is positioned with the longer dimension perpendicular to thefront edge of the base portion of the support structure such that thecentral device receiving opening of the positioning frame receives theportable electronic device in the portrait orientation. Accordingly, theperson seated in the wheelchair can access the portable electronicdevice in either of the two major orientations of the portableelectronic device. The positioning frame can also be inserted into thepositioning frame receiving recess in two additional orthogonalconfigurations that allow the portable electronic device to bepositioned in a left-to-right reversed landscape orientation and atop-to-bottom reversed portrait orientation.

In the illustrated embodiments, the device positioning frame 260 issufficiently larger than the central device receiving opening such thatthe device positioning frame provides a perimeter surface surroundingthe central device receiving opening onto which a person may rest his orher hands when not accessing the portable electronic device 270 withinthe central device receiving opening. Thus, the person may rest his orher hands near the portable electronic device without touching thescreen until necessary to activate a function of the device. Asdiscussed above, the substantially flush upper surface 262 of thepositioning frame and the upper surface of portable electronic devicewithin the device receiving opening 264 allow a user to easily move hisor her hands from the upper surface of the portable electronic device tothe upper surface of the positioning frame.

In FIG. 14 a modified positioning frame 360 with an upper surface 362replaces the through central receiving opening 264 of FIG. 13 with acentral receiving opening 364 that includes a bottom surface 366 suchthat the central receiving opening of FIG. 14 does not extend throughthe positioning frame. The depth of the central receiving opening ofFIG. 14 is selected to accommodate and support a thinner portableelectronic device (not shown) to cause the upper surface of the portableelectronic device to be substantially flush with the upper surface ofthe modified positioning frame.

The support structure 200 is readily adaptable to a portable electronicdevice 270 having a different size and shape. FIG. 15 illustrates amodified positioning frame 400 that has a surface 402. A central devicereceiving opening 404 is formed through the modified positioning frame.For example, the central device receiving opening in FIG. 15 isconfigured to receive an Apple iPhone® mobile digital device 406 (shownin phantom) having a longer dimension of approximately 6.25 inches and ashorter dimension of approximately 3.1 inches. The central devicereceiving opening has a first clearance notch 406 and a second clearancenotch 408 sized and located to provide clearance for controls on thesides of the mobile digital device. As described above, the modifiedpositioning frame is positionable within the positioning frame receivingrecess 252 to allow the mobile digital device to be positioned in any ofthe four orientations described above. As further described above, thecentral device receiving opening 404 may extend through the modifiedpositioning frame as shown in FIG. 15. Alternatively, the central devicereceiving opening may only extend partially through the modifiedpositioning frame (see FIG. 15) such that a thinner portable electronicdevice is supported by a bottom surface (not shown) of the centraldevice receiving opening (or recess) with the respective upper surfacesof the positioning frame and the portable electronic devicesubstantially flush with each other. In a further alternative, agenerally rectangular insert 408 may be positioned in the central devicereceiving opening to cause the upper surfaces to be substantially flush.

The frame positioning device can be modified to accommodate otherorientations for portable electronic devices. For example, instead ofproviding for only four orientations as shown in the illustratedembodiment, additional orientations can be provided by replacing thepositioning frame 260 with a modified two-piece positioning frame 420illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17. The modified two-piece positioning framecomprises an outer, generally square frame portion 430 that has outerdimensions corresponding to the outer dimensions of the previouslydescribed positioning frame. The outer frame portion has a surface 432.A central portion of the outer frame portion is removed to form acircular opening 434. In the illustrated embodiment, the circularopening has a diameter of approximately 12.25 inches. The modifiedtwo-piece positioning frame further comprises a circular inner frameportion 440 that is sized to fit within the circular opening of theouter frame portion. The inner frame portion has a surface 442. Acentral device receiving opening 444 is formed in the inner frameportion with dimensions corresponding to the selected portableelectronic device to be supported and retained by the support structure200. The inner frame portion is positionable within the outer frameportion at any selected angle. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, theinner frame portion is rotated counterclockwise with respect to theportrait orientation so that a user having limited arm mobility mayaccess the portable electronic device 270 at a more comfortable angle.Other configurations may be used to provide multiple orientations. Forexample, the circular opening in the outer frame portion may be replacedwith an octagonal opening and the circular inner frame portion may bereplaced with a corresponding octagonal inner frame portion to provide atwo-piece positioning frame with eight orientations.

Although the support structure 200 is described herein as being agenerally square structure, one skilled in the art will appreciate thatother shapes can be utilized to provide differing aesthetic appearances.As set forth above, the particular dimensions (lengths and angles) areprovided herein as a description of one embodiment; however, otherlengths and angles may also be used in other embodiments.

FIGS. 18-65 disclose another embodiment of a support structure 500,which includes additional features. The support structure 500 is similarto the previously described support structure 200; however, as describedbelow, the support structure 500 allows the user to adjust the uppersurface to a plurality of angles. The support structure 500 alsoincludes features to retain the tablet computer (e.g., the tablecomputer 272) more securely.

The support structure 500 is shown in a perspective view in FIG. 18 witha faceplate 510 positioned in an outer shell 520 in an orientation tosecure an electronic device (e.g., the tablet computer 272) in aportrait orientation. The faceplate 510 generally corresponds to thepreviously described positioning frame (positioning structure) 260 butwith modifications, which are described below. One aspect of themodifications (described below) is that the electronic device is securedto the support structure using a latching mechanism that must bedisengaged to allow the electronic device to be removed from the supportstructure. In FIG. 19, the faceplate 510 is shown in an orthogonalorientation to receive the tablet computer in a landscape orientation.As described below, the faceplate is easily adjusted between the twoorientations. In FIGS. 20-61, the support structure 500 is illustratedin various views without the tablet computer or other electronic device.Where shown in the figures, the faceplate 510 is shown in theperspective orientation of FIG. 18; however, it should be understoodfrom the following description that neither orientation is preferableover the other orientation.

The outer shell 520 has a carrying handle 522. The handle can be moldedas part of the same structure as the outer shell (e.g., by injectionmolding ABS plastic), or the handle can be constructed separately andattached to the outer shell in a conventional manner. The handle allowsthe support structure to be easily transported. As described below, thefaceplate 510 secures the tablet computer 272 to the support structureso that the support structure can be transported by the handle with thetablet computer mounted in the support structure.

As shown in FIG. 25, the support structure includes the outer shell 520and the faceplate 510. The support structure further includes an innershell 530, a lower planar support pad 540, an upper left support pad 542and an upper right support pad 544. The support structure furtherincludes a left faceplate latch 550 and a right faceplate latch 552. Thesupport structure further includes a left elevation latch 560 and aright elevation latch 562. As described below, the front (distal)portion of the outer shell is pivotally coupled to the front portion ofthe inner shell by a left hinge structure comprising a left outer shellhinge half 570, a left inner shell hinge half 572 and a left hinge pin574. The outer shell is further pivotally coupled to the inner shell bya right hinge structure comprising a right outer shell hinge half 580, aright inner shell hinge half 582 and a right hinge pin 584. The innershell has a generally planar (flat) bottom surface 590 that supports aplurality (e.g., 4) of silicone non-skid pads 592 within a correspondingplurality of positioning recesses 594 defined by oval-shaped wallstructures protruding from the bottom surface. The recesses arepositioned parallel to the distal, proximal, left and right edges of thebottom surface as shown. The pads are secured within the recesses usingan adhesive (e.g., glue) in a conventional manner. In one embodiment,the outer dimensions of the non-skid pads have lengths of approximately221 millimeters and widths of approximately 12.5 millimeters and haverounded ends as shown. The wall structures defining the recesses havecorresponding inner dimensions. In the illustrated embodiments, eachnon-skid pad has a thicknesses of approximately 3 millimeters, and eachrecess has a depth of approximately 2 millimeters such thatapproximately 1 millimeter of each pad extends below the wall of therespective recess.

The outer shell 520 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 28-36. The outershell includes a sloped top surface 600, a front (proximal) wall 602, arear (distal) wall 604, a left wall 606 and a right wall 608. As shownin the bottom views in FIGS. 29 and 32, the front wall, the rear wall,the left wall and the right wall surround a lower cavity 610 thatextends to a lower side 612 of the top surface. The lower side of thetop surface includes a plurality of crossing ribs 614 that providesupport to the top surface without adding substantial mass.

The shape of the outer shell 520 is similar to the shape of the outershell of the previously described embodiment. In the illustratedembodiment, the outer shell has a width defined by the lower edges ofthe left wall 606 and the right wall 608 that tapers from approximately397 millimeters at the rear wall 604 to approximately 393 millimeters atthe front wall 602. The outer shell has a length (not including thehandle 522) of approximately 419 millimeters. When the outer shell is inthe lowermost elevation position with respect to the inner shell 530 asshown in FIG. 24, the top surface slopes upward from the front wall tothe rear wall at an angle of approximately 18.5 degrees with respect tohorizontal. In the illustrated embodiment, the top surface 600 isgenerally flat and is approximately 368 millimeters wide byapproximately 368 millimeters long. When the outer shell is in theposition shown in FIG. 24, the rear wall slopes toward the front of thesupport structure at an angle of approximately 19.5 degrees with respectto vertical.

The top surface 600 of the outer shell 520 includes a generally squarerecessed upper cavity 620 that is sized and shaped to receive thefaceplate 510. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper cavity isgenerally square and has sides of approximately 323 millimeters. Theupper cavity has a main depth of approximately 15 millimeters. The uppercavity is surrounded by an outer ledge 622 that has a width ofapproximately 3 millimeters and has a depth with respect to the topsurface of approximately 3 millimeters. Thus, the upper cavity has anoverall depth of approximately 18 millimeters. As described below, theouter ledge receives and supports the faceplate 510.

The proximal portion of the upper cavity 620 of the outer shell 520includes a left engagement bracket 624 and a right engagement bracket626 that engage the faceplate in a manner described below. The distalportion of the upper cavity includes a first left faceplate latchopening 630. The distal wall 604 of the outer shell includes a secondleft faceplate latch opening 632. The two left faceplate latch openingsaccommodate portions of the left faceplate latch 550 as described below.As shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, the first and second left faceplate latchopenings are proximate to a first left support pier 634 and a secondleft support pier 636. The support piers extend downward away from thelower side 612 of the top surface 600. Each left support pier has arespective bore 638 therethrough

The distal portion of the upper cavity 620 includes a first rightfaceplate latch opening 640. The distal wall 604 of the outer shell 520includes a second right faceplate latch opening 642. The two rightfaceplate latch openings accommodate portions of the right faceplatelatch 552. The two right faceplate latch openings are proximate to afirst right support pier 644 and second right support pier 646. The tworight support piers also extend downward away from the lower side of thetop surface. Each right support pier has a respective bore 648therethrough. As described below, each bore receives an end of afaceplate latch pivot.

The outer shell 520 further includes the left outer shell hinge half 570and the right outer shell hinge half 580. As shown for the right outershell hinge half, each hinge half includes a bore 650 that receives therespective hinge pin 574, 576 of FIG. 25.

As shown in FIG. 28, for example, the outer shell 520 further includes aleft pivot support 660 for the left elevation latch 560 and a rightpivot support 662 for the right elevation latch 562.

In the illustrated embodiment, the outer shell 520 further includes aplurality of openings 670 along each edge of the upper cavity 620 thatextend through to the lower cavity 610. The four openings allow a powercable (not shown) to be routed from the lower cavity to the upper cavityto provide power to the electronic device 272 (FIGS. 18 and 19) when theelectronic device is oriented in any of the four orientations.

The inner shell 530 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 37-45. The innershell includes a front (proximal) outer wall 702, a rear (distal) outerwall 704, a left outer wall 706 and a right outer wall 706. The innershell has a relatively narrow upper surface 710 that surrounds an uppercavity 712. The upper cavity of the inner shell is defined by innerwalls 714, 716, 718, 720, which are spaced apart from the respectiveouter walls by a lower cavity 722 positioned beneath the upper surface.The lower cavity has a cavity floor 724 defined between the four innerwalls. Additional support for the upper surface is provided by aplurality of ribs 726. As shown in FIG. 31, the lower edge of the distalwall includes a pair of grooves 728 that receive the lower edge of thedistal wall 604 of the outer shell 520 when the outer shell is in thelowermost elevational position.

The inner shell 530 has a shape similar to the shape of the outer shell520 except that the dimensions are smaller so that the inner shell nestswithin the outer shell. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, theinner shell has a width that tapers from approximately 386 millimetersat the lower edge of the rear wall 702 to approximately 383 millimetersat the lower edge of the front wall 700. The inner shell has a length ofapproximately 359 millimeters from the lower edge of the rear wall tothe lower edge of the front wall, not including the left inner shellhinge half 572 and the right inner shell hinge half 582, which addapproximately 48 millimeters to the overall length of the inner shell.As described below, the outer shell is able to rotate about the leftinner shell hinge half and the right inner shell hinge half to adjustthe elevational angle of the outer shell with respect to the innershell.

The distal (rear) wall 702 of the inner shell 530 includes an upper leftnotch 730 and an upper right notch 732 that extend from the distal wallinto the upper cavity 712. The notches provide clearance for the leftfaceplate retainer latch 550 and the right faceplate retainer latch 552when the outer shell 520 is at its lowermost position with respect tothe inner shell, as described below.

The inner shell 530 further includes an opening 736 on the rear wall 702between the two grooves 728. The opening on the rear wall is alignedwith an opening 738 that extends into the upper cavity 712 of the innershell. The two openings allow a power cable (not shown) to be routedinto the upper cavity of the inner shell. The power cable can then berouted through one of the openings 670 into the upper cavity 620 of theouter shell 520.

The left inner shell hinge half 572 and the right inner shell hinge half582 extend from the proximal (front) 700 of the inner shell 530. Eachinner shell hinge half has a respective bore 734 that receives therespective hinge pin 574, 584 when the inner shell is coupled to theouter shell 520. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinges areconstructed with ribs to provide additional strength.

The left wall 704 includes a left indented portion 740 near the distalwall 702. The left indented portion provides clearance for the leftelevation latch 560. Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 30 and 31, the rightwall 706 includes a right indented portion 742 near the distal wall. Theright indented portion provides clearance for the right elevation latch562. Each of the indented portions includes a plurality of elevationcontrol bores. A first elevation control bore 750 has the form of asemicircle near the lower end of the respective indented portion. Asecond elevation control bore 752 is circular and is positionedapproximately midway up the indented portion toward the upper end of therespective indented portion. A third elevation control bore 754 ispositioned near the upper end of the respective indented portion. Eachof the first, second and third elevation control bores on the indentedportions is positioned on a respective radial line extending from thecenterline of the respective hinge bore 734 of the left inner shellhinge half 572 and the right inner shell hinge half 582. The radiallines are of substantially equal length such that the centers of theelevation control bores are approximately 363 millimeters from thecenterline of the hinge bores. The center of the second elevationcontrol bore is rotated approximately 8.63 degrees from the center ofthe first elevation control bore. The center of the third elevationcontrol bore is rotated approximately 8.63 degrees from the center ofthe first elevation control bore. In the illustrated embodiment, thecenter of the first elevation control bore is rotated approximately 1.06degrees below a horizontal plane that includes the centerline of thehinge bores. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the three bores hasa diameter of approximately 11 millimeters.

The outer shell 520 is mounted to the inner shell 530 by positioning theleft outer shell hinge half 570 adjacent the left inner shell hinge half572 and by positioning the right outer shell hinge half 580 adjacent theright inner shell hinge half 582. The hinge bores 734 of the inner shellhinge halves are aligned with the bores 648 of the outer shell hingehalves. The left hinge pin 574 is inserted into the bores of the alignedleft hinge halves. The right hinge pin 584 is inserted into the bores ofthe aligned right hinge halves. In the illustrated embodiment, the boresfor the outer shell hinge halves have diameters substantially equal to(or slightly smaller than) the outer diameters of the hinge pins suchthat the hinge pins are pressed into the bores for the outer shell hingehalves and are tightly secured therein. In contrast, the diameters thebores of the inner shell hinge halves are larger than the outerdiameters of the hinge pins. Thus, the hinge pins rotate freely withinthe inner shell hinge halves. For example, in one embodiment, thediameters of the bores of the outer shell hinge halves and the diametersof the hinge pins are approximately 4 millimeters, and the diameters ofthe bores of the inner shell hinge halves are approximately 4.8millimeters.

FIGS. 46 and 47 illustrate a top perspective view and a bottomperspective view, respectively, of the left elevation latch 560. Theright elevation latch 562 is substantially identical to the leftelevation latch. The elevation latch comprises a cylindrical portion 800that surrounds a cylindrical bore 802. The inner diameter of thecylindrical bore is sized and shaped to be slightly smaller than theouter diameter of the left pivot support 660 (FIGS. 28 and 29) on thedistal wall 604 of the outer shell. For example, in an illustratedembodiment, the inner diameter of the bore is slightly greater than 14millimeters and the outer diameter of the right pivot support is 14millimeters (or slightly smaller). As shown in FIG. 23, the leftelevation latch is secured to the left pivot support by a self-tappingscrew 810 that passes through a flat washer 812. Similarly, the rightelevation latch is secured to the right pivot support 662 by aself-tapping screw 814 that passed through a flat washer 816. In theillustrated embodiment, the elevation latch includes a recess 820 aroundeach end of the cylindrical bore. The recess has an outside diameter(e.g., approximately 17 millimeters) that is slightly larger than theoutside diameter of the flat washer (e.g., approximately 16 millimeters)so that the flat washer fits within the recess. The recesses at each endof the cylinder are symmetrical such that the left elevation latch andthe right elevation latch are interchangeable.

The left elevation latch 560 further includes an engagement tab 830,which extends distally from the cylindrical portion 800 when theelevation latch is installed on the left pivot support 660 as shown inFIG. 23. A first side 832 of the engagement tab is smooth to receive aperson's finger when operated to adjust the elevation of the outer shell520 as described below. A second side 834 of the engagement tab includesa rib 836 that provides rigidity for the tab with respect to thecylindrical portion. A positioning arm 840 extends proximally from thecylindrical portion and tapers to a proximal end 842. An engagementprotrusion 844 extends from a first side 846 of the positioning arm nearthe proximal end. The engagement protrusion could be a cylindricalprotrusion; however, in the illustrated embodiment, the engagement ismolded as an X-shaped or cross-shaped protrusion. The protrusion has aneffective diameter at the positioning arm of approximately 10millimeters. In the illustrated embodiment, the protrusion tapers to aneffective diameter at a distal end (away from the positioning arm) ofapproximately 9 millimeters and then is chamfered as shown in FIG. 35.The protrusion is sized to fit within the elevation control bores 750,752, 754 on the left indented portion 740 of the inner shell 530. Inlike manner, a corresponding engagement protrusion 844 on the rightelevation latch 562 is sized to fit within the elevation control bores750, 752, 754 on the right indented portion 742.

The length of the positioning arm 840 and the position of the protrusion844 on the positioning arm are selected such that when the cylindricalportion 800 of the left elevation latch 560 is positioned on the leftpivot support 660 with the positioning arm directed toward the front ofthe outer shell 520, the protrusion is spaced apart from the centerlineof left hinge pin 574 by substantially the same radial distance as thecenters of the elevation control bores 750, 752, 754 on the leftindented portion 740 of the inner shell 530. The correspondingprotrusion 844 on the right outer shell positioning latch 562 ispositioned in like manner with respect to the elevation control bores750, 752, 754 on the right indented portion 742 of the inner shell.Accordingly, as the outer shell is pivoted about the common centerlineof the left hinge pin and the right hinge pin 582, the protrusions onthe two outer shell positioning latches are aligned with the respectivefirst elevation control bore 750 when the outer shell is at a first(lowest) elevational position with respect to the inner shell, arealigned with the respective second outer bore 752 when the outer shellis at a second (middle) elevational position, and are aligned with therespective third outer bore 754 when the outer shell is at a third(highest) elevational position. Each elevational position corresponds toa respective angular position of the outer shell with respect to theinner shell, which rests on a support (e.g., the table or desk 100 shownin FIGS. 1 and 2). The three elevational (angular) positions aredescribed in more detail below.)

A second side 850 of the positioning arm 840 supports a rib 852 thatprovides rigidity for the positioning arm. A C-spring 854 extends fromthe second side of the positioning arm near the proximal end 842. Asillustrated, a first end 856 of the C-spring is secured to the secondside of the positioning arm, and a second end 858 of the C-spring isfree (not connected). The C-spring operates similarly to a leaf spring.When pressure is applied to the second end of the C-spring to move thesecond end toward the first end, the resilience of the C-spring causesthe second end to return to the original position when the pressure isreleased.

As shown in FIG. 48, when the left elevation latch 560 is positioned onthe left pivot support 650, the free second end 858 of the C-spring 854is positioned against the inner surface of the left wall 606 of theouter shell 520. The C-spring is either uncompressed or is lightlycompressed. The protrusion 844 is engaged within the lowermost bore 750of the left indented portion 740 of the inner shell 530 and cannot beseen in FIG. 48. When the left elevation latch is operated by pushingagainst the first side 832 of the engagement tab 830, the elevationlatch pivots clockwise, which causes the positioning arm 840 to move tothe left and to compress the C-spring. This allows the protrusion todisengage from the bore. A similar action with respect to the rightelevation latch 562 pivots the corresponding positioning armcounterclockwise to disengage the respective protrusion. When bothprotrusions are disengaged, the outer shell can be pivoted with respectto the inner shell to adjust the angle of the top surface 600 of theouter shell.

The three elevational (angular) positions of the outer shell 520 withrespect to the inner shell 530 are shown in FIGS. 49-54. In FIG. 49, theouter shell is in the lowermost angular position. As shown in thecross-sectional view of FIG. 50, the protrusion 844 of the rightelevation latch 562 is engaged with the lowermost bore 750 of the rightindented portion 742 to retain the outer shell in the lowermost angularposition.

In FIG. 51, the outer shell 520 is in the middle angular position. Asshown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 52, the protrusion 844 of theright elevation latch 562 is engaged with the middle bore 752 of theright indented portion 742 to retain the outer shell in the middleangular position.

In FIG. 53, the outer shell 520 is in the uppermost angular position. Asshown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 54, the protrusion 844 of theright elevation latch 562 is engaged with the upper bore 754 of theright indented portion 742 to retain the outer shell in the uppermostangular position.

In each of the angular (elevational) positions illustrated in FIGS.49-54, the corresponding protrusion 844 on the left elevation latch 560is engaged in the respective bores 750, 752, 754 of the left intendedportion 740 of the inner shell 530.

The outer shell 520 may also be rotated beyond the uppermost angularposition so that the upper cavity 712 of the inner shell 530 is exposed.When the upper cavity of the inner shell is exposed, cables (e.g., apower cable and a headphone cables) may be inserted through the openingsin the inner shell and the outer shell for connection to the electronicdevice 272.

As shown in the exploded view of FIG. 26, the upper cavity 620 of theouter shell 520 receives the lower planar support pad 540 (also shown inFIG. 55). The upper left support pad 542 and the upper right support pad544 (also shown in FIG. 56) are positioned on top of the lower planarsupport pad. The faceplate 510 is then positioned on top of the upperleft and upper right support pads. The support pads function to positionand cushion the electronic device (e.g., the device 272 in FIGS. 18 and19). The upper left and upper right support pads reduce or precludelateral movement of the electronic device. The upper left and upperright support pads have a common thickness selected to generallycorrespond to the thickness of the electronic device. Thus, thethickness of the two upper support pads can be adjusted for thicker orthinner electronic devices. The two upper support pads are separated atthe distal ends near the middle to accommodate a conventional power/USBcable and connector near the distal middle of a conventional electronicdevice when in the portrait mode. The two upper support pads are splitat the proximal end near the left to accommodate a headphone cable andjack. The locations of the splits can be modified for pads intended forelectronic devices having different connector positions. The thicknessof the lower planar support pad is selected in combination with thethickness of the upper support pads so that the overall thickness of thetwo layers of pads is substantially the same for each combination. Forexample, if the thickness of the upper pads is decreased to accommodatea thinner electronic device, the thickness of the lower planar pad isincreased by a corresponding amount to provide the original overallthickness. In the illustrated example, the combined thicknesses of thelower planar support pad and the upper support pads is approximately 15millimeters, which corresponds to the depth of the upper cavity of theouter shell from the ledge 622 to the lower surface of the upper cavity.Together, the lower support pad, the upper left support pad, the upperright support pad and the faceplate 510 comprise a positioning structurefor a manually accessible apparatus (e.g., the electronic device 272 inthe illustrated embodiment). The positioning structure in the embodimentof FIGS. 18-65 is similar to the previously described support structureof the embodiments of FIGS. 1-17; however, the positioning structuremechanically engages the electronic device or other apparatus to securethe apparatus to the support structure rather than relying only onfrictional engagement.

The lower support pad 540 is generally square with angular notches 860formed in each corner to accommodate the engagement latches of thefaceplate 510 (described below). The upper left support pad 542 and theupper right support pad 544 include similar notches 870 in the corners.The upper right support pad further includes an extended distal notch872 to accommodate a switch at the upper right corner of the electronicdevice 272 and an upper right notch 874 to accommodate other switches.Each of the upper left support pad and the upper right support padincludes a proximal notch 876 to provide clearance around the soundoutlets of the electronic device. The notches may be located in otherportions of either or both upper pads for other electronic devices.

After positioning the pads 540, 542, 544 in the upper cavity 620 of thetop surface 600 of the outer shell 520, as described above, theelectronic device 272 is positioned between the left upper pad and theright upper pad. The faceplate 510 is then positioned on the ledge 622in the upper portion of the upper cavity above the left and right upperpads and above the electronic device. As shown in FIGS. 57 and 58, theouter dimensions of the faceplate are square to fit within the ledge.For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the faceplate has sides withlengths of slightly less than 329 millimeters so that the outerperimeter of the faceplate rests upon the ledge. The faceplate has agenerally rectangular central opening 900 between an upper surface 902(FIG. 57) and lower surface 904 (FIG. 58) that is smaller than the outerdimensions of the electronic device such that only the display area ofthe electronic device appears through the central opening. The portionsof the faceplate surrounding the central opening engage the bezel aroundthe display of the electronic device and constrain the electronic devicewithin the upper cavity. The central opening of the faceplate has aproximal edge 906 that includes a semicircular cutout 908 to accommodatethe actuator switch on the electronic device. The faceplate furtherincludes a pair of rectangular openings 910 proximal to the proximaledge of the central opening. The rectangular openings are the upper endsof respective 90-degree conduits 912 (FIG. 57). The conduits have lowerends positioned to redirect the sound emanating from the distal end ofthe electronic device upward through the faceplate. The distal notches876 on the upper left pad 542 and the right upper pad 544 provideclearance for the conduits when the faceplate is positioned over theupper pads.

The central opening 900 of the faceplate 510 has a distal edge 914,which has a semicircular opening 916 to provide clearance for a cameralens on the electronic device. The faceplate also has an opening 920 andan opening 922, which are positioned to provide access to the switchesat right end of the proximal edge of the electronic device 272 and theswitches at the proximal end of the right side of the electronic device.The two openings are aligned with the notches 872, 874 of the rightupper pad 544.

The faceplate 510 includes a proximal outer edge 930, a distal outeredge 932, a left outer edge 934 and a right outer edge 936, with edgesdefined in the portrait orientation shown in FIG. 45. The faceplate hasa semicircular opening 938 in the distal edge to accommodate a headphonecable.

It should be understood that the various features of the faceplate 510,the lower planar pad 540, the upper left pad 542 and the upper right pad544 are configured to match a particular electronic device 272. Thevarious features can be relocated and resized on interchangeablefaceplates and pads to accommodate electronic devices having differentsizes and shapes and having switches and connectors in differentlocations. Additional openings can be provided to provide access toadditional switches and connectors. The faceplate and the pads can beinterchanged without requiring any changes to the underlying outer shell520 and inner shell 530.

As shown in FIG. 57, the lower surface 904 of the faceplate 510 includesfour pairs of latch engagement sockets. A first engagement socket 940and a second engagement socket 942 are located near the proximal outeredge 930 of the faceplate. A third engagement socket 944 and fourthengagement socket 946 are located near the distal outer edge 932 of thefaceplate. A fifth engagement socket 950 and a sixth engagement socket952 are located near the left outer edge 934 of the faceplate. A seventhengagement socket 954 and an eighth engagement socket 956 are locatednear the right outer edge 936. The engagement sockets are positioned onthe faceplate so that the rotationally symmetrical faceplate can bepositioned on the ledge 622 of the upper cavity 620 of the outer shell520 in any of four different orientations in accordance with theorientation of the electronic device 272. The notches 870 of the upperleft support pad 542 and the upper right support pad 544 and the notches860 of the lower planar support pad 540 provided clearance for theengagement sockets when the faceplate is positioned over the uppersupport pads.

When the faceplate 510 is positioned on the ledge 622 of the uppercavity 620 of the outer shell 520 in the portrait orientation shown inFIG. 18, the first engagement socket 940 engages the left engagementbracket 624 in the upper cavity, and the second engagement socket 942engages the right engagement bracket 626. The third engagement socket944 engages the left faceplate latch 550 and the fourth engagementsocket 946 engages the right engagement latch 552. The operations of thetwo engagement latches are described below. In the portrait orientation,the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth engagement sockets 950, 952, 954,956 are not used.

When the faceplate is positioned on the ledge 622 in the landscapeorientation as shown in FIG. 19, the fifth engagement socket 950 engagesthe left engagement bracket 624 and the sixth engagement socket 952engages the right engagement bracket 626. The seventh engagement socket954 engages the left engagement latch 550 and the eighth engagementsocket 956 engages the right engagement latch 552. In the portraitorientation, the first, second, third and fourth engagement sockets 940,942, 944, 946 are not used.

The positions of the engagement latches on the faceplate 510 also allowthe faceplate to be positioned in two additional orthogonal orientationsby turning the faceplate 180 degrees from each of the two orientationsdescribed above.

The left faceplate latch 550 is shown in a front perspective view inFIG. 59 and in a rear perspective view in FIG. 60. The right faceplatelatch 552 is identical to the left faceplate latch. The faceplate latchincludes a pivot 960 that extends from a first end 962 to a second end964. An actuator tab 966 extends outward from the pivot. The actuatortab is reinforced with a rib 968 on a first surface 970. A latch tab 972also extends from the pivot at an acute angle with respect to theactuator tab. A latch protrusion 974 extends perpendicularly from adistal end of the latch. The latch protrusion extends in the oppositedirection from the actuator tab. A C-spring 976 has a first end 978connected to the opposite side of the latch tab from the latchprotrusion. A second free (unconnected) end 980 of the C-spring ispositioned away from the latch tab in the general direction of theactuator tab.

As shown in the partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 61, the first end962 of the pivot 960 of the left faceplate latch 550 is inserted intothe bore 638 (FIG. 30) of the second left support pier 636. The secondend 962 of the pivot is inserted into the bore 638 of the first leftsupport pier 634 (shown in FIG. 30). The support piers are sufficientlyresilient to allow the piers to spread apart so that the ends of thepivot can be inserted in the bores and then return to a parallelconfiguration to retain the pivot ends in the bores. The left faceplatelatch is positioned with the actuator tab 966 extending distally throughthe second left faceplate latch opening 632 in the rear wall 604 of theouter shell 520. The latch tab 972 extends upward through the first leftfaceplate latch opening 630 into the upper cavity 620. The protrusion974 engages the third engagement socket 944 on the distal edge of thefaceplate 510. The protrusion has a sloped upper edge so that when thefaceplate is inserted into the upper cavity, the protrusion is pushedaway from the socket initially and then snaps back into engagement withthe socket. The second end 980 of the C-spring 976 is positioned againstthe inner surface of an inset portion 982 of the outer shell to providecompression force to maintain the protrusion in engagement with thesocket. The second faceplate latch 550 (not shown in FIG. 61) isoriented and installed in a similar manner with the respective pivotends 962, 966 in the bores 648 of the second right support pier 646 andthe first right support pier 644.

When the actuator tabs 964 of the left faceplate latch 550 and the rightfaceplate latch 552 are pressed downward, the respective latch tabs 972move away from the respective third and fourth engagement sockets 944,946 of the faceplate 510 against the forces of the respective C-springs976. The respective protrusions 974 of the latch tabs are disengagedfrom the respective sockets to allow the faceplate to be removed fromthe upper cavity 620. The faceplate is installed in the upper cavity inthe portrait orientation by first engaging the first engagement socket940 with the left engagement bracket 624 of the upper cavity andengaging the second engagement socket 942 with the right engagementbracket 626 of the upper cavity. The third engagement socket and thefourth engagement sockets are then snapped into engagement with theprotrusions of the latch tabs as described above. The faceplate isinstalled in the landscape orientation in a similar manner using thefifth and sixth engagement sockets 950, 952 and the seventh and eighthengagement sockets 954, 956.

The faceplate 510 retains the electronic device 272 securely in theupper cavity 620 of the outer shell 520 so that the support structure500 can be safely transported using the handle 530 without fear of theelectronic device falling out of the upper cavity.

FIGS. 62 and 63 illustrate an upper perspective view and a lowerperspective view of a modified embodiment of an inner shell 990. Themodified inner shell has substantially the same construction as thepreviously described inner shell; and corresponding elements areidentified as before. The modified inner shell is connectable to theouter shell 520 as described above. The modified inner shell furtherincludes a plurality (e.g., four) of keyhole-shaped mounting openings992 formed through the bottom surface 590 of the inner shell into theupper cavity 712. The mounting openings are arranged in a pattern toallow the support structure 500 to be mounted onto a wall or othersurface for storage. The narrow slot portions of the openings areoriented toward the distal (rear) wall 702 of the inner shell such thatwhen the inner shell (and thus the overall support structure 500) ismounted on a wall (not shown), the distal wall is oriented upward. Thus,the handle 522 (shown in the other figures) is oriented upward tofacilitate moving the support structure to and from a wall mountinglocation.

As further illustrated in FIGS. 62 and 63, the modified inner shell 900further includes a plurality of generally rectangular openings 994 thatextend into the upper cavity 712 at the intersections of the uppercavity floor 724 with each of the inner walls 714, 716, 718, 720. In theillustrated embodiment, each intersection of a wall and the cavity floorincludes two rectangular openings. The rectangular openings provideaccess for one or more carrying straps (not shown) so that the supportstructure can be configured to be transported like a backpack. Byproviding openings at each intersection, a user of the support structurehas the option of configuring the carrying straps in variousconfigurations.

FIGS. 64 and 65 illustrate an upper perspective view and lowerperspective view of the modified inner shell 900 of FIGS. 62 and 63 inwhich the orientation of the keyhole-shaped mounting openings 992 arereversed such that the narrow slot portions of the openings are directedtoward the front wall 700 of the inner shell. When the embodiment ofFIGS. 64 and 65 is mounted on a wall (not shown), the distal wall 702 isoriented downward. Accordingly, the support structure 500 is mountedwith the upper surface 600 facing outward and upward from the wall. Inthis orientation with the electronic device 272 of FIGS. 18 and 19oriented 180 degrees from one of the two orientations shown in FIGS. 18and 19, the electronic device can be easily accessed by a person facingthe support structure from either a standing or a sitting position. In afurther version (not shown) of the modified inner shell, thekeyhole-shaped mounting openings can have narrow slot portions extendingin both directions from the round opening so that the modified innershell can be mounted on the wall with either the proximal (front) wall700 or the distal (rear) wall facing downward.

As described above, the faceplate 510 and the support pads 540, 542, 544of the support structure 500 are easily adaptable to conform to thesizes and shapes of different types and models of electronic devicessuch as tablet computers, smartphones, and the like without requiringany modification of the underlying outer shell 520 or inner shell 530 ofthe support structure. The faceplate and the support pads may also beadapted to accommodate other manually accessible devices. For example,the faceplate and the support pads may be sized and shaped toaccommodate a base platform for a set of interlocking building blocks(e.g., LEGO® brand building bricks and the like), to accommodate awhiteboard (e.g., a dry-erase board) or a chalkboard, to accommodate ajigsaw puzzle board, and to accommodate other nominally flat structuresor platforms.

The support structure 500 described above can also be fixedly mounted toa desk or other platform using the keyhole-shaped mounting openings 992showing in FIGS. 62-65. For example, the outer shell 520 can be rotatedfully away from the inner shell 530 to provide access to the mountingopenings so that screws can be inserted into the narrow portions of themounting openings and tightened to secure the support structure to theplatform. This feature may be used to attach the support structure to aset of legs extending from such a platform so that the support structureis converted to a free-standing system.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all thematter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

I claim:
 1. A support structure for a portable electronic device thatretains the portable electronic device in at least two orientations, thesupport structure comprising: a base; a front wall, a rear wall, a leftside wall and a right side wall that extend upwardly from the base, thefront wall being shorter than the rear wall; an upper surface supportedby the front wall, the rear wall, the left side wall and the right sidewall, the upper surface sloping downward from the rear wall toward thefront wall such that the upper surface is at a presentation angle withrespect to the base; a positioning structure receiving recess formed inthe upper surface, the positioning structure receiving recess having arecess boundary, the recess boundary having at least a respective firstside, a respective second side, a respective third side and a respectivefourth side with substantially equal dimensions, the first side of therecess boundary parallel to the third side of the recess boundary, thesecond side of the recess boundary parallel to the fourth side of therecess boundary, the first and third sides of the recess boundaryperpendicular to the second and fourth sides of the recess boundary; anda device positioning structure positionable in the positioning structurereceiving recess, the device positioning structure having an outerperimeter, the outer perimeter having at least a respective first side,a respective second side, a respective third side and a respectivefourth side with substantially equal dimensions, the first side of theouter perimeter parallel to the third side of the outer perimeter, thesecond side of the outer perimeter parallel to the fourth side of theouter perimeter, the first and third sides of the outer perimeterperpendicular to the second and fourth sides of the outer perimeter, thedimensions of the sides of the outer perimeter of the device positioningstructure selected to fit the outer perimeter of the device positioningstructure within the recess boundary of the positioning structurereceiving recess, the device positioning structure fitting within thepositioning structure receiving recess in a first positioning structureorientation with the first and third sides of the outer perimeter of thedevice positioning structure parallel to the first and third sides ofthe recess boundary of the positioning structure receiving recess, thedevice positioning structure fitting within the positioning structurereceiving recess in a second positioning structure orientation with thefirst and third sides of the outer perimeter of the device positioningstructure parallel to the second and fourth sides of the recess boundaryof the positioning structure receiving recess, the device positioningstructure including a device receiving opening having a shape configuredto conform to the portable electronic device, the device positioningstructure positionable in the positioning structure receiving recess inthe first positioning structure orientation to provide a first devicereceiving opening orientation with respect to the front wall such thatthe portable electronic device is positionable in a first deviceorientation with respect to the front wall, the device positioningstructure positionable in the positioning structure receiving recess inthe second positioning structure orientation to provide at least asecond device receiving opening orientation with respect to the frontwall such that the portable electronic device is positionable in asecond device orientation with respect to the front wall.
 2. The supportstructure as defined in claim 1, wherein: the outer perimeter of thedevice positioning structure has a substantially square shape; thedevice receiving opening is positioned substantially in the center ofthe substantially square shape, the device receiving opening beinggenerally rectangular with a length and a width, the width shorter thanthe length; and the device positioning structure is positionable in thepositioning structure receiving recess in the first positioningstructure orientation with the length of the device receiving openingparallel to the front wall and is positionable in the positioningstructure receiving recess in the second positioning structureorientation with the width of the device receiving opening parallel tothe front wall.
 3. The support structure as defined in claim 1, wherein:the outer perimeter of the device positioning structure has asubstantially square shape, the device positioning structure comprisingan outer structure portion and an inner structure portion, the outerstructure portion having a central opening formed therein, the innerstructure portion having an outer perimeter sized and shaped to conformto and fit within the central opening of the outer structure portion;the device receiving opening is positioned substantially in the centerof the inner structure portion, the device receiving opening beinggenerally rectangular with a length and a width, the width shorter thanthe length; and the inner structure portion is positionable within theouter structure portion in at least a first orientation with the lengthof the device receiving opening parallel to the front wall, at least asecond orientation with the width of the device receiving openingparallel to the front wall, and at least a third orientation with thelength of the device receiving opening at an angle such that neither thelength of the device receiving opening nor the width of the devicereceiving opening is parallel to the front wall.
 4. The supportstructure as defined in claim 3, wherein: the central opening of theouter structure portion and the outer perimeter of the inner structureportion are substantially circular; and the inner structure portion isfully positionable within the outer structure portion such that thelength of the device receiving opening is rotatable to any angle withrespect to the front wall.
 5. The support structure as defined in claim1, wherein the base comprises: a lower base portion that rests on a flatsurface; and an upper base portion that engages the lower base portion.6. The support structure as defined in claim 5, wherein: the lower baseportion includes at least one lower recess; and a non-skid pad isremovably insertable within the at least one lower recess of the lowerbase portion to enhance the frictional engagement of the lower baseportion with the flat surface.
 7. The support structure as defined inclaim 5, wherein: the lower base portion comprises an extended upperportion; and an upper base portion includes a lower recess, the lowerrecess of the upper base portion sized and shaped to engage the extendedupper portion of the lower base portion.
 8. The support structure asdefined in claim 1, wherein the presentation angle is in a range ofapproximately 5-45 degrees.
 9. The support structure as defined in claim1, wherein the presentation angle is in a range of approximately 10-15degrees.
 10. A support structure for a portable electronic device thatretains the portable electronic device in at least two orientations, thesupport structure comprising: a base; a front wall, a rear wall, a leftside wall and a right side wall that extend upwardly from the base, thefront wall being shorter than the rear wall; an upper surface supportedby the front wall, the rear wall, the left side wall and the right sidewall, the upper surface sloping downward from the rear wall toward thefront wall such that the upper surface is at a presentation angle withrespect to the base, wherein the presentation angle is variable betweena lowest presentation angle and a highest presentation angle by rotatingthe upper surface with respect to the base; a positioning structurereceiving recess formed in the upper surface, the positioning structurereceiving recess having a selected shape; and a device positioningstructure positionable in the positioning structure receiving recess,the device positioning structure including a device receiving openinghaving a shape configured to conform to the portable electronic device,the device positioning structure positionable in the positioningstructure receiving recess to provide at least two orientations for thedevice receiving opening with respect to the front wall such that theportable electronic device is positionable in at least two correspondingorientations with respect to the front wall.
 11. The support structureas defined in claim 10, wherein the presentation angle is selectivelyfixed at one of three presentation angles, including the lowermostpresentation angle, the uppermost presentation angle and a middlepresentation angle.
 12. A support structure for a portable electronicdevice that retains the portable electronic device in at least twoorientations, the support structure comprising: a base; a front wall, arear wall, a left side wall and a right side wall that extend upwardlyfrom the base, the front wall being shorter than the rear wall; an uppersurface supported by the front wall, the rear wall, the left side walland the right side wall, the upper surface sloping downward from therear wall toward the front wall such that the upper surface is at apresentation angle with respect to the base; a positioning structurereceiving recess formed in the upper surface, the positioning structurereceiving recess having a selected shape; and a device positioningstructure positionable in the positioning structure receiving recess,the device positioning structure including a device receiving openinghaving a shape configured to conform to the portable electronic device,the device positioning structure positionable in the positioningstructure receiving recess to provide at least two orientations for thedevice receiving opening with respect to the front wall such that theportable electronic device is positionable in at least two correspondingorientations with respect to the front wall, wherein: the devicepositioning structure has an upper surface; and the device receivingopening has a depth with respect to the upper surface of the devicepositioning structure selected to position an exposed upper surface ofthe portable electronic device substantially flush with the uppersurface of the device positioning frame.
 13. A support structure for aportable electronic device that retains the portable electronic devicein at least two orientations, the support structure comprising: a base;a front wall, a rear wall, a left side wall and a right side wall thatextend upwardly from the base, the front wall being shorter than therear wall; an upper surface supported by the front wall, the rear wall,the left side wall and the right side wall, the upper surface slopingdownward from the rear wall toward the front wall such that the uppersurface is at a presentation angle with respect to the base; apositioning structure receiving recess formed in the upper surface, thepositioning structure receiving recess having a selected shape; and adevice positioning structure positionable in the positioning structurereceiving recess, the device positioning structure including a devicereceiving opening having a shape configured to conform to the portableelectronic device, the device positioning structure positionable in thepositioning structure receiving recess to provide at least twoorientations for the device receiving opening with respect to the frontwall such that the portable electronic device is positionable in atleast two corresponding orientations with respect to the front wall,wherein the device positioning structure comprises at least one paddefining an opening to receive the device within the opening; and afaceplate positionable over the at least one pad and engageable with theupper surface of the support structure, the faceplate having a faceplateopening sized smaller than the opening in the at least one pad, thefaceplate having a frame around the faceplate opening sized to contactan upper surface of the device to secure the device within thepositioning frame receiving recess of the upper surface.
 14. A supportstructure that retains a manually accessible apparatus in at least twoorientations, the support structure comprising: a base; a front wall, arear wall, a left side wall and a right side wall that extend upwardlyfrom the base, the front wall being shorter than the rear wall; an uppersurface supported by the front wall, the rear wall, the left side walland the right side wall, the upper surface sloping downward from therear wall toward the front wall such that the upper surface is at apresentation angle with respect to the base; a positioning structurereceiving recess formed in the upper surface, the positioning structurereceiving recess having a recess boundary, the recess boundary having atleast a respective first side, a respective second side, a respectivethird side and a respective fourth side with substantially equaldimensions, the first side of the recess boundary parallel to the thirdside of the recess boundary, the second side of the recess boundaryparallel to the fourth side of the recess boundary, the first and thirdsides of the recess boundary perpendicular to the second and fourthsides of the recess boundary; and an apparatus positioning structurepositionable in the positioning structure receiving recess, theapparatus positioning structure having an outer perimeter, the outerperimeter having at least a respective first side, a respective secondside, a respective third side and a respective fourth side withsubstantially equal dimensions, the first side of the outer perimeterparallel to the third side of the outer perimeter, the second side ofthe outer perimeter parallel to the fourth side of the outer perimeter,the first and third sides of the outer perimeter perpendicular to thesecond and fourth sides of the outer perimeter, the dimensions of thesides of the outer perimeter of the apparatus positioning structureselected to fit the outer perimeter of the apparatus positioningstructure within the recess boundary of the positioning structurereceiving recess, the apparatus positioning structure fitting within thepositioning structure receiving recess in a first positioning structureorientation with the first and third sides of the outer perimeter of theapparatus positioning structure parallel to the first and third sides ofthe recess boundary of the positioning structure receiving recess, theapparatus positioning structure fitting within the positioning structurereceiving recess in a second positioning structure orientation with thefirst and third sides of the outer perimeter of the apparatuspositioning structure parallel to the second and fourth sides of therecess boundary of the positioning structure receiving recess, theapparatus positioning structure including an apparatus receiving openinghaving a shape configured to conform to the manually accessibleapparatus, the apparatus positioning structure positionable in thepositioning structure receiving recess in the first positioningstructure orientation to provide a first apparatus receiving openingorientation with respect to the front wall such that the manuallyaccessible apparatus is positionable in a first apparatus orientationwith respect to the front wall, the apparatus positioning structurepositionable in the positioning structure receiving recess in the secondpositioning structure orientation to provide at least a second apparatusreceiving opening orientation with respect to the front wall such thatthe manually accessible apparatus is positionable in a second apparatusorientation with respect to the front wall.